Photo of Lentil Spaghetti with Spinach & Anchovies by WW

Lentil Spaghetti with Spinach & Anchovies

7
Points® value
Total Time
20 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
There are lots of bold flavours in this spaghetti—and they all get along. Anchovies lend an umami depth (not fishiness) that the nutty lentil pasta laps right up. Always save a little cooking water before you drain pasta. You can use it to both thin out a sauce and thicken the final dish. A cup will serve you well.

Ingredients

Uncooked red lentil pasta

8¾ oz, spaghetti, or yellow lentil spaghetti

Olive oil

2 tbsp(s)

Onion

1 cup(s), thinly sliced from top to bottom

Crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp(s)

Garlic

3 clove(s), large, thinly sliced

Uncooked anchovies

12 item(s), canned in oil, drained, chopped

Kosher salt

¼ tsp(s)

Lemon zest

1 tsp(s)

Fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp(s)

Chopped frozen spinach

10 oz, or frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Instructions

  1. In a pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and red pepper; cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and anchovies; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the salt and ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, then stir in the pasta. Add the spinach and toss gently to combine. Stir in additional pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if it feels too dry or too thick.
  3. Serving size: about 1½ cups